Young people with disabilities have to leave school early in Austria. Too early. 'Extraordinary' prepares them - at their pace - for working life and creates a model to follow.
Final report
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Project news
About the project
What is the project about?
Too old for school - much too young for work
Education until the age of 18 is the law in Austria. But young people with special educational needs are often denied it. Their right to a school place ends after 9 years. A job at that age is too much for them. Many therefore stay at home. As a result, the labour market often remains closed to them for the rest of their lives.
Our approach
Our inclusive café 'Außergewöhnlich' (= ‘Extraordinary’) accompanies young people in the transition from school to work. They acquire vocational qualifications at their own pace. In the learning studio, they are allowed to continue learning what they need for a self-determined life. 'Außergewöhnlich’ is a training centre and a place of encounter at eye level - in the middle of Vienna, in the 14th district.
'Außergewöhnlich’ makes diversity visible and inclusion possible.
Our model is to set a precedent
We are creating an innovative model that meets the needs of young people with special educational needs. For the Café to get real we need you! Afterwards, our model shall become part of the regular educational and social system and find many imitators.
Help us together with a group of renowned Austrian artists to make our vision come true!
What happens with the money if financing was successful
An artists' initiative supports our project financially and through the media, but funds are still needed for the inclusive café, especially in the first few months.
The learning studio is fully equipped and all running costs are secured for 2023/24 by the parents of the young people who work and learn at 'Außergewöhnlich'. In addition, the rent for the inclusive café is covered by a sponsor. The income from the fundraising evening by the 'Artists with a Heart' at the Akzent Theatre on 13.6.2023 will flow entirely into the operation of the inclusive café. An application will be submitted to the initiative ‚Licht ins Dunkel‘ for the adaptation of the rented premises to meet the needs of disabled persons.
With the help of the crowdfunding campaign, the furnishing & equipment of the inclusive café and its operation for the first 3 months (September to November 2023) will be financed. The sum of 80,000 euros is made up of the following partial sums:
- Euro 6,000 for renovation (painting, wallpaper, tiles, material + assembly, spots, lamps + assembly)
- Euro 30,000 for furniture (carpentry, bench, large table, armchairs, bistro tables, garden furniture)
- Euro 3,568 for counters and sales shelves
- Euro 7,000 for kitchen equipment (gastro glasswasher, gastro dishwasher, freezer, fridge-freezer, extractor hood, refrigerator)
- Euro 500 for tableware & cutlery
- Euro 1,500 for IT software
- Euro 500 for decoration
- Euro 500 for work clothes
- Euro 4,500 for costs of social media campaign (videos, consulting and campaign support)
- Euro 250 for printing costs: food and drink menus, business cards, flyers
- Euro 21,780 for personnel costs
- Euro 3,902 for handling fee respekt.net
Starting point: the problematic access to education and the labour market for young people with disabilities
According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, ALL persons with disabilities must be given equal access to education and the labour market. Austria signed it in 2008.
Nevertheless, young people with special educational needs in Austria only have a legal right to nine years of compulsory education. Nonetheless, since 2016, there has been a legal obligation to provide education in Austria until the age of 18. All young people MUST attend a secondary school or do an apprenticeship after completing compulsory education until 18. This also applies to pupils with special educational needs.
These children need more time and support in learning. But they are the ones who have to leave school at 15 or 16. According to the Compulsory Education Act, they have "finished" after nine years. For further education and training, there is often a lack of equipment, trained staff and assistance services. Many of them therefore stay at home and wait for a place in a sheltered workshop. They are not allowed to continue learning and do not get support to develop further.
Our solution approach: Work and continue learning - at your own pace
The non-profit association '0816 - alles außer gewöhnlich. Verein für individuelles Lernen' (= ‘0816 – anything except ordinary. Association for Individual Learning') specialises in the education of children and young people with special learning needs. They are supported individually and holistically. Each child is given maximum support in developing their potential.
With 'Außergewöhnlich' (= ‘Extraordinary’), the 0816 association creates a combination of an inclusive training place in the café and individual learning support in the learning studio for young people with disabilities who are no longer entitled to a school place.
In the inclusive café, they acquire a partial vocational qualification as a server. In the adjoining learning studio, they continue to train the cultural skills of reading, writing and arithmetic. Our motto is: "Use it or lose it" - since cultural techniques that are not trained regularly are quickly unlearned by people with special learning needs.
‘Außergewöhnlich’ is entirely oriented towards the needs of the young people and their individual learning pace. They learn in peace and without pressure. They are given time to fully develop their abilities and skills.
For the time being, six young people will receive a partial vocational qualification at 'Außergewöhnlich', which will enable them to actively participate in society and participate in the labour market in the future.
These six young people will alternate days of learning and training at the café. Initially, they will spend half a day in the café, then more time according to their possibilities. A seventh child, currently 12 years old, will only attend the learning studio until he is 15.
An inclusive café - as a training centre and meeting place
The inclusive café 'Außergewöhnlich' (= ‘Extraordinary’) will be open to the public and run like a regular café. The plan is to have a few coffee tables and to sell charity products, homemade and regional delicacies, homemade cakes, etc. A small Delicatessen is integrated.
We want to create a place where people with and without disabilities can meet and work together as equals. A place for living inclusion in the middle of Vienna's 14th district, at Nisselgasse 9.
For this purpose, from July 2023 the rented premises in Nisselgasse will be adapted and furnished according to the needs of the young people. The premises are barrier-free and will be equipped with a disabled toilet. The Café is located in the immediate vicinity of the U4 Hietzing station, which enables the young people to arrive as independently as possible.
Goal: Our model is to set a precedent
With 'Außergewöhnlich'(= Extraordinary) we want to create an innovative multipliable model that enables as many young people with disabilities as possible to participate in society and self-determination. Our vision is a state-supported training centre which, if necessary, may also be a permanent sheltered workplace (like the established sheltered workshops) - in the middle of society as a living inclusion.
Who are we?
We are people from different professions with a lot of experience who are brought together by the common vision of equal opportunities, participation and inclusion in practice:
Verena Augustin, special teacher for children with disabilities, psychotherapist, founder and chairwoman of the 0816 association, head of the project with decades of experience in the field of education for people with disabilities and years of experience in sales and gastronomy.
Kathrine Madreiter, special kindergarten teacher from the 0816 team, "Yes, we can" trainer with decades of experience in the field of education for people with disabilities and psychiatry.
Simone Gerdenits, certified health trainer from the 0816 team, certified health educator for children, life and social counsellor and supervisor.
Christoph Fälbl, Cabaret artist and gastronomer with years of experience.
Eva Jambor, affected mother, years of experience with educational projects that 'Empower Every Child'.
Family members of the young people who support us on a voluntary basis.
Paid employees:
o Gastronomer: responsible for kitchen, stock and ordering
o Service staff
o Student temporary staff for sales and service
Media support - social media campaign
Due to the collaboration of the actor and cabaret artist Christoph Fälbl in the inclusive café, a circle of renowned artists could be won as supporters for ‘Außergewöhnlich’ (= Extraordinary):
- "Artists with a Heart" - Fundraising Evening at Theater Akzent on 13.6.2023 with Wolfgang Ambros, Christoph Fälbl, Josef Hader, Stefan Haider, Gary Lux, Nadja Maleh, Kristina Sprenger u.a.
- Participation in the Action Day ‘Common Education’ in Vienna on 15.06.2023, presentation of the project
On our social media channels we report on the status of the renovation work, the progress of the equipment and finally the start of the learning studio at the beginning of the school year in September 2023 and the opening of the inclusive café in mid-September.
Social sustainability
Access to education and training is an essential prerequisite for equal opportunities in the labour market, equal participation and self-determination.
With the founding of the inclusive café 'Außergewöhnlich’ (= ‘Extraordinary’) with an attached learning studio, a committed group of people is tackling a social problem that affects many families with children with disabilities. We create a pilot model and in parallel look for a permanent place in the system for our innovation. The ultimate goal is a new form of protected training and workplace that is a natural part of our society and benefits many affected young people throughout Austria.
Das Café Außergewöhnlich erwartet Sie!
DANKE! DANKE! DANKE!
Wir konnten dank der vielen Unterstützer:innen das Café Außergewöhnlich mit angeschlossenem Lernatelier eröffnen! Die Jugendlichen haben inzwischen ihre ersten Erfahrungen im Café gesammelt und lernen auch im Lernatelier begeistert.
Ab 2.11.2023 ist das Café Außergewöhnlich in der Nisselgasse 9 (1140 Wien, Nähe U4-Station Hietzing) zu diesen Zeiten für Sie geöffnet:
- Dienstag bis Donnerstag von 9 bis 17 Uhr
- Freitag von 9 bis 19 Uhr
- Samstag von 9 bis 16 Uhr
- Montag, Sonntag und Feiertag geschlossen
Für den laufenden Betrieb sind wir für jede weitere Unterstützung dankbar!
Wir freuen uns auf Ihren Besuch!!
- 15:29
Lernatelier
Das Inventar des Lernateliers wurde übersiedelt.
- 13:37
Das Café mit Lernatelier wird Realität!
Dank Ihrer Unterstützung konnte mit den notwendigen baulichen Adaptionsarbeiten und der Ausstattung des inklusiven Cafés 'Außergewöhnlich' begonnen werden!
Die Schlüsselübergabe für die Räumlichkeiten in der Nisselgasse 9 ist erfolgt. Das Inventar des Lernateliers wurde erfolgreich nach Schulschluss übersiedelt.
DANKE!!!!
- 13:31
- 23:00
- 22:57